DARK VENGEANCE is the second Ed Greenwood book to chronicle the tales of Niflheim, the monstrous underworld series of caverns populated by dark elves. These elves periodically raid the surface — or what they call the Blindingbright — to cart off humans as slaves. I gave a cautious thumbs-up to the first book, DARK WARRIOR RISING, primarily because it was difficult for the reader at first to grasp the intricate Nifl society. Once you were a few pages into it, though, you were hooked.
And that hook continues in this second book, as we find the Dark Warrior — a human blacksmith named Orivon Firefist — peacefully working the forge in his new town of Orlkettle. But one day, the elves raid again at night and steal four children to work in their food mines.
Orivon has had enough and vows to return to the underworld to retrieve the four lost children. When he descends, he once again becomes involved with the beautiful outcast Nifl-she Taerune, the group of rough-and-ready Ravagers and the immensely debased society of the two most powerful underworld cities: Talonnorn and Ouhvalor.
This is old-school fantasy, rich and lush with abundant gems, powerful magics, shiny blades and improbable, but chilling, monsters. Battles are everywhere and well-described, as are the tense relationships between the secular and religious powers in the society, which seems to create much of the conflict ever-present in Nifl society.
Greenwood’s series is good classic fantasy, and the second novel, because it is already comfortable within its storytelling frame, is perhaps even better than the first, with the introduction of new intriguing characters and the promise of more adventures to come. —Mark Rose
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• DARK WARRIOR RISING by Ed Greenwood
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- Dark Warrior Rising
- Warlash: Dark Noir #1 / #2
- The Further Adventures of Beowulf: Champion of Middle Earth
- King climbs DARK TOWER for Marvel Comics
- Star Wars: The New Jedi Order – Dark Tide II: Ruin
